Water filters are generally divided into two classes: point of entry water filters and point of use water filters. Point of use water filters can be installed at a kitchen sink or within a refrigerator appliance in order to filter water entering such devices. In particular, water filters are generally provided with a filtering media such as a block of activated carbon. The water filter's filtering media can adsorb or remove contaminants such as chlorine and lead from water prior to delivering such water to a user.
The water filter's filtering media generally has a limited useful life. In particular, the filtering media can generally only filter a certain volume of water before exhausting the filter's capacity. Thus, the water filter's filtering media is preferably replaced or serviced at regular intervals to insure that the water filter is working properly. However, replacements and servicing can be time consuming and expensive.
Filtered water is generally utilized for consumption such as drinking. However, when installed at a kitchen sink, filtered water provided by a water filter may be utilized for many tasks such as cleaning dishes or washing hands for which filtered water is neither needed or preferred. Thus, the water filter's filtering media can reach its filtering capacity despite wasting a large volume of filtered water on various unneeded uses.
Accordingly, a water filtering assembly with features for selectively accessing a flow of filtered water would be useful. In particular, a water filtering assembly with features for selectively initiating and terminating a flow of filtered water would be useful.
In addition, many countertop appliances such as coffee makers can utilize filtered water to improve their performance. Accordingly, a water filtering assembly with features for permitting a countertop appliance to receive filtered water from the water filtering assembly would be useful. In particular, a water filtering assembly mounted below a countertop that includes features for permitting a countertop appliance sitting on top of the countertop to receive filtered water from the water filtering assembly would be useful.